Method of manufacturing a package



M y 1967 G. J. o. WELlN-BERGER 3, 5

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PACKAGE Original Filed March 16, 1964 INVENTOR. Gw J. O. wa/Ax-flizsae BY IQTTYJ United States Patent 3,316,686 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PACKAGE Guy John Olof Weiin-Berger, Box 228, Nacka, Sweden Original application Mar. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 352,210, now Patent No. 3,223,229, dated Dec. 14, 1965. Divided and this application Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 403,233 Claims priority, application Sweden, Mar. 18, 1963, 2,920/ 63 Claims. (Cl. 53-28) This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 352,210, filed Mar. 16, 1964, now Patent No. 3,223,229.

This invention relates to methods of manufacturing packages of the type comprising an envelope and a bag enclosed therein, said bag containing a material, such as tea leaves, for brewing a beverage. The manufacture of such packages is involved with certain difficulties because the package has to be constructed with a view of minimizing the manufacturing cost. As a matter of fact the cost of the bag and envelope embodied in such packages has to be regarded as compared with the value of the portion of tea or other material that is enclosed in the package and constitutes the usable product thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide methods of manufacturing such packages.

The method of manufacturing the package is characterized by the steps of advancing a web of for instance paper, folding the web preferably about a longitudinal line, inserting bags provided with carrier strings successively in a row between the portions formed by folding, and forming an envelope around each bag by pressing said portions together and interconnecting them both along two lines extending transversely of the fold on either side of the bag and at the edges parallel to the fold after inserting the free end of the carrier string between said edges so as to secure said string to the edges while they are pressed together. To seal the bag, various kinds of binders may be used, not only heat sensitive binders in connection with heat sealing, but also contact adhesives which are cold setting provided they are applied to both surfaces which are to be brought into contact with each other.

An example of the application of the invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing in which:

FIGURES l and 2 are diagrammatic and perspective views of devices in two different steps of operation for carrying out the method according to the invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an opened envelope and a bag withdrawn therefrom.

In the embodiment illustrated it is assumed that the bag itself which may contain tea leaves or the like for brewing a beverage consists of a fabric or braid of plastics threads and comprises two compartments 1, 2 in which a portion of tea or the like is distributed. The compartments are formed by interconnecting opposite walls of the bag along a central transverse line 3- (FIG. 3). Midway of this connecting line the bag is connected to the surrounding envelope 4 such as by means of a string 5 one end of which is secured to the bag and the other end of which is secured to the envelope. To connect the string with the envelope the end of the string is inserted between two opposite parts of the walls of the envelope as will be seen from FIGS. land 2.

A web of paper or similar material is unwound from a v supply roll 7 and passed beyond a guiding and folding device 8 by means of which the web or strip is folded along a longitudinal central line so as to be doubled up.

Between the folded parts of the web which are to form the front and rear sides of the envelope there is successively inserted a plurality of bags provided with carrier strings 5. The compartments 1 and 2 are preferably facing each other such that a substantial part of the string will come to lie in the form of a loop between the compartments while the free end of the carrier string is projecting upwards between the upper edges of the compartments. Preferably, at the same time a reinforcing strip 10 is unwound from a supply roll 9 and advanced concurrently with the web 6 adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the folded parts. A binding agent may be applied to the web 6 and/or the reinforcing strip 10 on one or both sides which are to be facing each other. After a plurality of bags have been inserted between the walls formed by the web 6 these walls are pressed together, by means of a pair of backing plates 11, 12 or other members, along two lines 14, 15 extending transversely of the fold of the web 6 and at the longitudinal edges parallel to the fold so as to form a label 18. The string 5 inserted between the wall portions forming the label is clamped between and connected with the wall portions when they are pressed together. The backing plate 12 may be provided with transverse knives 16 and the backing plate 11 has corresponding incisions. When the backing plates are moved together the knives 16 in cooperation with the incisions 17 will separate from the web 6 envelopes for the bags which have been inserted between the backing plates. At the same time the envelopes are compressed and sealed along three edges thereof.

If a package of the kind described is to be used for brewing a beverage the label 18 is torn from the remainder of the envelope which consequently will be opened. Then the bag can be easily withdrawn from the opened envelope by grasping the label 18 and pulling the bag out from the envelope by means of the appendant string 5. The label and the string are then used for immersing the bag in the liquid for brewing the beverage.

In case of heat scaling for closing the envelope the backing plates 11, 12 have to be heated to a suitable temperature. If a cold setting contact adhesive is used the backing plates may be cold. The devices illustrated in the drawing are intended to be used for intermittent advance of the web 6 and the reinforcing strip 10 with the length of each feed step corresponding to the width of three packages, but within the scope of the invention any desired lengths of feed steps are conceivable. Also continuous advancement is possible in connection with rotary sealing members generally devised in the same manner as the plates 11, 12. Even in other respects the invention is not limited to the details illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing packages for tea leaves and similar material, comprising the steps of advancing a web of paper, folding the web about a line at least substantially parallel with an edge of the web to form opposite walls, inserting bags each provided with a carrier string successively in a row between said opposite walls, inserting an end of each carrier string between said walls at edges thereof located opposite the fold, and forming an envelope around each bag by pressing portions of said walls together along two lines extending transversely of the fold on either side of each bag and at an edge of the walls parallel with the fold to unite the portions along said lines and to fasten the end of the carrier strings therebetween.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by 3 applying a preferably heat sensitive binder at least to the surfaces of the web which after the folding operation are facing each other, and closing the enevelope by hot pressing the parts to be interconnected.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by inserting a reinforcing strip between said edges prior to compressing the edges.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by heat sealing said envelope edges and connecting the end of each string to said edges by making the string of plastics so as to be softened while the edges are heat sealed.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, and applying a binder to the reinforcing strip.

4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,087,236 7/1937 Anders S314 X 2,309,621 2/1943 Allatt 99-771 X 5 2,677,121 3/1959 Anderson etal 53180X FOREIGN PATENTS 806,550 12/1958 Great Britain.

10 FRANK E. DAILEY, Primary Examiner.

N. ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PACKAGES FOR TEA LEAVES AND SIMILAR MATERIAL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ADVANCING A WEB OF PAPER, FOLDING THE WEB ABOUT A LINE AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH AN EDGE OF THE WEB TO FORM OPPOSITE WALLS, INSERTING BAGS EACH PROVIDED WITH A CARRIER STRING SUCCESSIVELY IN A ROW BETWEEN SAID OPPOSITE WALLS, INSERTING AN END OF EACH CARRIER STRING BETWEEN SAID WALLS AT EDGES THEREOF LOCATED OPPOSITE THE FOLD, AND FORMING AN ENVELOPE AROUND EACH BAG BY PRESSING PORTIONS OF SAID WALLS TOGETHER ALONG TWO LINES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE FOLD ON EITHER SIDE OF EACH BAG AND AT AN EDGE OF THE WALLS PARALLEL WITH THE FOLD TO UNITE THE PORTIONS ALONG SAID LINES AND TO FASTEN THE END OF THE CARRIER STRINGS THEREBETWEEN. 